Mystery & crime · 2021

Best Mystery & Crime Books of 2021

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson tied for the most-recognized mystery & crime book of 2021, named by 3 of the 153 sources we track. The table ranks all 32 by how many sources named them.

Sources is the number of distinct awards and year-end lists that name the book's ISBN, in any year. 2021 is the award or list year in our catalog.

#BookAuthorSourcesNamed by
1A Town Called SolaceMary Lawson3
2Build Your House Around My Body: A NovelViolet Kupersmith3
3Harlem Shuffle: A NovelColson Whitehead3
4Velvet Was the NightSilvia Moreno-Garcia3
5Razorblade Tears: A NovelS.A.Cosby2
6The Turnout: A NovelMegan Abbott2
7We Are Watching Eliza Bright: A NovelA.E. Osworth2
8Dream Girl: A NovelLaura Lippman1
9My Heart Is a ChainsawStephen Graham Jones1
10The Final Girl Support Group: A NovelGrady Hendrix1
11The Trees: A NovelPercival Everett1
12A Slow Fire BurningPaula Hawkins0
    13Dial A for AuntiesJesse Q. Sutanto0
      14Djinn Patrol on the Purple LineDeepa Anappara0
        15How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House: A NovelCherie Jones0
          16My Sweet Girl: A NovelAmanda Jayatissa0
            17Our Woman in MoscowBeatriz Williams0
              18Quiet in Her BonesNalini Singh0
                19Summer SonsLee Mandelo0
                  20The Committed: A NovelViet Thanh Nguyen0
                    21The Death of Jane Lawrence: A NovelCaitlin Starling0
                      22The Lost Village: A NovelCamilla Sten, translated by Alexandra Fleming0
                        23The Other Black Girl: A NovelZakiya Dalila Harris0
                          24The Postscript MurdersElly Griffiths0
                            25The Vixen: A NovelFrancine Prose0
                              26The Woman in the Purple Skirt: A NovelNatsuko Imamura, translated by Lucy North0
                                27These Toxic Things: A ThrillerRachel Howzell Hall0
                                  28This Thing Between Us: A NovelGus Moreno0
                                    29We Run the Tides: A NovelVendela Vida0
                                      30We Were Never Here: A NovelAndrea Bartz0
                                        31Who is Maud Dixon? A NovelAlexandra Andrews0
                                          32Widespread Panic: A NovelJames Ellroy0